This invention, in general, relates to support devices. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for supporting a flexible duct.
A duct is a tube or pipe used for conveying a liquid or a gas. Ducts are typically used in a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Flexible ducts tolerate 3-dimensional movement and are lightweight. Flexible ducting is used in an HVAC system for transferring air flow in and out of a space. A suitable ducting system is needed for distributing warm and cold air in an enclosed space, for example, a room of a building. If the ducting system is not properly designed and installed, there are potential inefficiencies and energy wastage. Typically, metal strapping is used for supporting ducts to a rafter or a beam. Flexible ducting in residential and commercial applications for an HVAC system are typically secured to a beam or rafter by metal strapping using a hammer, a nail, or a screw gun during installation. The metal strapping is expensive and cumbersome to install because an installer has to hold the metal strapping in place with one hand while holding the nail with the same hand and at the same time swinging the hammer with the other hand provided there is enough room to swing the hammer.
The above installation procedure often does not adequately support the flexible duct due to the small contact area of the metal strapping with the flexible duct. Because of the difficulty of securing the strapping for supporting the flexible duct, most installers tend to stretch the spacing as far as possible in order to avoid repeating the difficult strapping procedure as few times as possible. As a result, due to the minimal contact area of the metal strapping that supports the duct and the distance between the metal strapping causes the duct to sag and crimp, which results in restricted airflow through the entire ducting system, affecting the overall efficiency of the HVAC system.
Hence, there is a need for a structure to support a flexible duct. Furthermore, there is a need for the structure to support curved surfaces of the flexible duct to avoid sagging and crimping and allow free flow of air, liquids, etc. through the flexible duct.